Katy Perry - Smile

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All these reviews about the album being ill-timed for the current climate are... weird. Like everyone was enjoying the escapism the likes of Gaga's album of Joe Biden pop and Dua's album were providing, but the moment Katy Perry does it... it's suddenly a bit crass to be releasing pop music six months into this pandemic? What should she be doing then?

The album even manages to mostly dodge and duck most of her worst tendencies; there's not a single borderline-meme song to be found for a change, her sense of humour has been thankfully eradicated from most of the music, and what you're left with is a remarkably solid pop album. Like I kept waiting for the trap door to open underneath my feet and find myself in one of her usual clown songs but it never happened. It's maybe lacking in big headliner moments outside of "Never Really Over", but the rest is so robust and well made that it's hard to have a problem with it.
 
All these reviews about the album being ill-timed for the current climate are... weird. Like everyone was enjoying the escapism the likes of Gaga's album of Joe Biden pop and Dua's album were providing, but the moment Katy Perry does it... it's suddenly a bit crass to be releasing pop music six months into this pandemic? What should she be doing then?

The album even manages to mostly dodge and duck most of her worst tendencies; there's not a single borderline-meme song to be found for a change, her sense of humour has been thankfully eradicated from most of the music, and what you're left with is a remarkably solid pop album. Like I kept waiting for the trap door to open underneath my feet and find myself in one of her usual clown songs but it never happened. It's maybe lacking in big headliner moments outside of "Never Really Over", but the rest is so robust and well made that it's hard to have a problem with it.

You congratulating Katy in favor of Gaga... 2020 is the year that the world ends.
 
I listened to the album once and it's a Katy Perry album? Nothing groundbreaking, few greatly produced and delivered bops,few duds and few tracks that I don't really care about. I'll probably spin this one couple more times but I don't see myself coming to it frequently in the future.

Witness was much better.
 
This is a cute, competent and consistent little pop record. And, let me be clear, we need these albums - little nuggets of timeless, hook-laden, crisply produced pop songs to dip into. It may not be as ambitious as her previous efforts but it’s still nowhere near as faceless as “Spotify playlist pop”.

It’s all falling into good-but-not-great territory for me, aside from Never Really Over and Harley’s... Nothing is really tugging at my wig. But I’ll take “good not great” over “shit”.
 
I honestly didn't really have high hopes after Smile and What Makes A Woman, but the album turned out way better than I was expecting, I'm enjoying it a lot. I regret not going for one of those different covers now, does anyone know if they'll be made available again? (Sorry if this has been asked recently but I didn't read the whole thread).
 
he / him
I honestly didn't really have high hopes after Smile and What Makes A Woman, but the album turned out way better than I was expecting, I'm enjoying it a lot. I regret not going for one of those different covers now, does anyone know if they'll be made available again? (Sorry if this has been asked recently but I didn't read the whole thread).

I dont think they will!
 
Only Love seems like the closest thing to a hit here. In a perfect world, Champagne Problems would be #1 on all streaming platforms by now, though. Those harmonies are pop heaven.
 
I'm never going to be a fan, but I listen to her stuff with an open mind and this is a marked improvement on the slog-tastic Witness.
 
This album was always gonna be hard for Katy Perry. I see it as a bridging album from "Witness gate" to a new era. I wouldn't say this is a "new era" for her as such if that makes sense. Career wise I just see this as her putting a plaster on the wound, publicly recognising what happened with her last album and getting over it and hoping we do too...and I think we should because she's a fantastic pop star!
 
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